Istanbul: Turkish security forces have arrested 19 illegal Afghan immigrants in the country's biggest city Istanbul, local media reported. Istanbul municipal police units on Monday stopped a van on suspicion in the Sultangazi district on the European side of the city, according to a report by the Demiroren news agency. The teams detected the immigrants jammed inside the vehicle and informed police forces, according to the media reports.

These immigrants have tried to go to the northwestern border province of Edirne, some 240 km away from Istanbul, to cross into Greece. Turkey, a key transit point for asylum seekers on their way to Europe, has been increasingly witnessing an influx of Afghan refugees fleeing the country following last month's takeover by the Taliban. The country hosts more than 4 million refugees, including 3.6 million Syrians, within its borders, mostly in Istanbul.

It added that the apprehended migrants were sent to a local repatriation centre for deportation procedures. Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya on Monday said 38,251 irregular migrants have been arrested across the city since the beginning of this year.

Turkey, a key transit point for asylum seekers on their way to Europe, has been lately seeing an increased influx of Afghan refugees fleeing turmoil in their homeland. 

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